Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...211.9310b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #93.10; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.891
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We have been amassing a unique dataset which can be used to investigate the amount and nature of dust produced by red supergiants (RSGs) in very different environments. To this end, optical spectra are being obtained for RSGs in various galaxies in the Local Group. Moderate-resolution, high S/N, spectrophotometry, covering 3500-9000A, has been obtained for a sample of RSGs in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. Using the the MARCS stellar atmosphere models to fit the SEDs, we are deriving extinction curves from 3500A to the K-band for the Local Group RSGs. In particular, for the LMC and SMC stars, the problem is more tractable than for the Milky Way RSGs, given the small and relatively uniform foreground extinction of the Clouds. We will construct extinction curves using the classic "pair method". The feasibility of using the model SEDs as "unreddened" standards will be examined, as well as the more conventional pairing of stars that are closely matched in spectral type but have different reddenings. These extinction curves are actually attenuation curves since the RSG circumstellar dust shells are not resolved and light can be scattered back into the beam. In particular, we plan to examine the apparent NUV excess seen in the Galactic RSG extinction curves. The NUV excess is possibly due to scattering of the star's light by circumstellar dust and/or a larger average size than that typical of grains found in the diffuse interstellar medium.
This project is being supported by NSF grant AST-0707691 and a LaSPACE Undergraduate Research Assistantship (NASA grant NNG05GH22H).
Bright Stacey
Clayton Geoffrey
Gordon Karl
Levesque Emily
Massey Pedro
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